As a human, you can't be healthy all the time, and that's okay. Head cold, also known as the common cold, is an infection that every individual suffers from time to time due to different circumstances. This infection affects your respiratory tract, and over 200 different types of viruses can cause it. The viruses that cause head cold can be transferred quickly from person to person, either via physical contact or through surfaces.

Just like the name implies, the common cold is pretty “common” and most times raise no cause for alarm unless it becomes severe. AFC Urgent Care Short Hills can diagnose and provide treatment for any illness that is considered “urgent.” Any emergency illnesses should be treated at the emergency room. Visit our walk-in center for urgent care services today.

Symptoms of a Head Cold

The first symptom of a head cold is clogged nostrils and a runny nose. But here are the common symptoms of a head cold that almost everyone will experience:

• Loss of taste and smell.
• Nasal congestion and nasal drip
• Continuous sneezing
• Headache
• Drainage at the end of your throat.
• Postnasal drip.
• Watery eyes
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Sore throat
• Quick tiredness and full-body fatigue.
• Body and joint aches.
• Fever (in some cases, and it is not so severe)
• Difficulty in taking deep breaths.
• Discomfort in the chest and abdomen.
• Moodiness.

These symptoms usually last for the range of five days to a week. If your symptoms persist for more than ten days, see a doctor or a health practitioner immediately.

How To Treat A Head Cold

Although a head cold is not a very serious disease that should be a cause for major concern, it can be very disconcerting, discomforting, and just plain irritating. In some cases, though, severe head colds are a symptom of a greater sickness.

If the head cold you have is just a common cold and not a sign of a deadlier ailment, you could use some of these remedies:

Rest

Having rest is wonderful for a head cold and remember that to heal, your body needs a lot of rest and sleep.

Take Hot or Warm Fluids

Having a cup of hot tea is really soothing when you have a common cold. You should endeavor to avoid cold food like ice cream and focus more on hot liquid food like chicken broth, a cup of warm apple juice, or even a bowl of hot custard.

Take OTC Medications

For some stubborn colds, over-the-counter medications are the quickest and surest way to get rid of them. Children under the age of 5 should not take OTC medications. You should know that as good as OTC medications are, they have some negative side effects.

Misusing and overusing OTC medications can cause serious adverse effects and sometimes leads to addiction. You should discuss with your doctor to know what medication to get and how to take it.

Conclusion

A head cold is something you will experience at least once in your life, and when you do, don't panic. Just follow the above steps, and you should be good in a couple of days.